Cycle simulation of a coal-particle-fueled, reciprocating, locomotive engine

An engine cycle simulation was developed to investigate the combustion process and performance of a coal-fueled, direct-injected, reciprocating locomotive engine. Submodels for particle combustion, piston work, cylinder heat transfer and cylinder mass flow processes were combined with a thermodynamic analysis of the engine to yield instantaneous cylinder conditions and overall indicated engine performance. The non-volatile particles of this study did not autoignite and, therefore, an external pilot ignition using at least 14% of the total heat release energy was necessary for uniform, complete particle ignition. After the initial period, the combustion process was dominated largely by the diffusional processes. The effects of injection timing, engine speed and particle size on engine performance were determined. For an engine operated at 1000 RPM, particle sizes equal to or less than about 15 ..mu..m provided maximum performance.